1. We daydream. A lot.

We might be staring in your direction, but there's a good chance we didn't realize you were even talking to us. Sometimes we get lost in our own little worlds.

2. We can be inspired by pretty much anything, at any time.

When we find a spark of inspiration, it's important to us to write it down before we lose it.

Carrying an extra pen in your pocket is an easy way to be your writer's hero.

3. We love when you seem interested in our work.

You don't have to love reading to date a writer, but we love when you seem enthusiastic about something we spent so many hours creating. You're our support team— our #1 fan (hopefully). Your opinion matters more than anyone else's.

4. You cannot take everything we write, personally.

Not every character or story is based off of you or anyone we know in real life.

Some of us lie for a living.

We call it "fiction."

Not everything is about you.

...sometimes it is though.

(That's just part of dating a writer.)

5. Our notebooks and journals are sacred.

Those pages are for our eyes ONLY.

Don't touch them.

Don't open them.

Don't use them as coasters on your coffee table.

Don't let your cat or dog gnaw on them like a chew toy.

A journal is a writer's personal world and life's work. We don't expect you to understand what they mean to us. We just ask that you care enough to respect the hours of work we put into them.

6. Our notebooks and laptops usually come with us— no matter where we’re going.

I can't remember the last time I left the house without my MacBook Pro and most recent journal. It's a habit. I rarely go somewhere with the intention of writing, but it's a "just in case" thing.

7. Working from home does NOT mean we are lounging around, doing nothing all day.

Some days you may come home to find me still in my PJ's, with zero chores done and in need of a shower, but after sitting at my desk, working for 12 hours straight, the worst joke you could make is that I've been "lazy" all day.

Writing is mentally exhausting.

Some days are spent doing hours and hours of tedious research on a single topic.

Other days are spent trying to fix everything I could've sworn was well-written the day before.

I may be sitting in comfortable clothes in my own home, but by the end of the day, I am mentally fried.

8. Your work day may end when you leave the office at 5:00, but ours does not.

We don't punch a clock but we do have deadlines.

We don't all work for ourselves— we have clients and editors and sometimes team members.

When you walk through the door at 5:30, you walk into my workspace; and I may not be "off work" yet. I may need another hour or two of peace and quiet. I know this can be aggravating, but some projects take longer than planned, and has to be completed whether I like it or not.

9. It's hard to enjoy anything fun when we have deadlines coming up.

Our minds are elsewhere.

Some days we do need to get out of the house and clear our heads.

Other days, it's best to just let us work.

10. Never tell us to “hurry up.”

Whatever we are working on is probably frustrating enough as it is.

No good will come from using that phrase. So, don't.

Seriously.

Don't.

11. Respect our writing process.

My personal process has two distinct phases:

Phase One— Waiting

Phase Two— Writing.

Sometimes I have to wait for the right spark or a little more motivation or maybe even a new assignment. But once I'm in phase two, I'm determined to get it done. Sleep isn't even a priority during phase two; much less our plans to "Netflix & chill."

12. If we’re writing, we don’t want to be asked to stop.

If my pen's moving or my keyboard's clicking, please don't ask me to come to bed or encourage me to get some sleep. I have to use my moments of motivation— I can't put them on pause or save them for later. I wish it worked like that, but it doesn't.

13. Sometimes we have to ignore our phones.

It's nothing personal. We just have to focus.

14. Most writers (especially freelancers) don’t make a steady income.

This is something that may not be important while dating, but could pose an issue down the road.

15. Be careful what you say.

We might just use it.